It's more difficult to do that with a Chromebox, as Acer's newly announced Chromebox CXI shows. Acer will sell you a system with a Haswell-based 1.4GHz Intel Celeron 2957U, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, dual-band 802.11n Wi-Fi, and a decent port selection for $179.99, or $219.99 for a 4GB version. This is, incidentally, the same list of features you can already get from Asus' Chromebox, which also costs $179.99.

Both boxes are VESA-mountable and can support two displays via their HDMI and DisplayPort connectors—the only real difference is that Acer's box is designed to sit on its side, while Asus' is intended for horizontal use. The box measures 6.51 by 5.12 by 1.3 inches, slimmer than Asus' entry but taller and deeper. It's up to you to decide which one best suits your needs.

The Chromebox CXI will be available in the US and Canada "late next month."

Acer

Acer's port selection is the same as Asus'. It's pretty solid for a box this size.

Acer

Acer's port selection is the same as Asus'. It's pretty solid for a box this size.

Acer

Both boxes can be mounted to the back of a monitor to create a makeshift all-in-one.

Andrew Cunningham / Andrew has a B.A. in Classics from Kenyon College and has over five years of experience in IT. His work has appeared on Charge Shot!!! and AnandTech, and he records a weekly book podcast called Overdue.